Merlot Bungalow

By Carrie from Wellsville, New York, Stay: 11/10/2023 - 11/12/2023

Perfect Weekend

We had a very relaxing weekend. The view of the water is amazing from the porch and there are tons of local eateries, wineries and breweries to visit just down the road.

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Thank you for the 5 star rating. We are happy to see that you enjoyed your stay and we hope to host you again soon.

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 11/28/2023

By Stephanie from Wilmington, Delaware , Stay: 08/26/2023 - 09/02/2023

My husband and I (and our pup!) stayed at the Merlot Bungalow in August 2023 and it exceeded our expectations in every way. The home was clean, comfortable, and exactly as pictured. We normally cannot let our hound dog off-leash, as her nose will carry her away, but the way the lakefront area was contained to just our property, we could just block the stairs and let her run around all day enjoying the lake with us. One of my favorite parts of each day was waking up to the sunrise in the master bedroom, then moving out to the deck to enjoy it, wrapped in a blanket or sitting near the gas firepit.   We were happy to spend most of our time at the house/lake, but when we wanted to venture out, Penn Yan & Geneva were just 15 minutes away. The house is near train tracks, but we didn't find the few that came through to be too loud or disruptive. It was an absolutely perfect experience, and we plan to be back next year.  

By Summer from Owings, Maryland , Stay: 08/05/2023 - 08/12/2023

Great view of the lake.  Quiet and relaxing

By Jeff from State College, Pennsylvania, Stay: 06/11/2023 - 06/14/2023

Great experience. We love the place. Clean, quiet, nice amenities.

By Kristin from Chesterland, Ohio, Stay: 05/11/2023 - 05/14/2023

Perfect getaway

House was very clean. Well equipped. Beautiful views. The outdoor fire pit thing was a very nice bonus. Bed was comfy. Would def recommend and return for another trip.

By James from Carolina Beach, North Carolina, Stay: 04/22/2023 - 04/30/2023

Beautiful view of sunrise!

Great time, great location.

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Thank you for the 5 star rating. We are pleased that you enjoyed your stay and we hope to see you again soon.

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 05/26/2023

By Jeff from State College, Pennsylvania , Stay: 04/29/2022 - 05/02/2022

Idyllic retreat

Clean, quiet, lovely, lake access. It's easy to reach many charming destinations from this wonderful home. Highly recommended.

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Thank you so much for the review and for recommending our rental. We hope to see you again during your next trip to the Finger Lakes.

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 05/26/2023

By Nancy from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Stay: 06/10/2017 - 06/17/2017

June 2017 Stay

This was one of our best vacations yet!! The Merlot Bungalow was the perfect place to stay while exploring the Seneca Lake region. It was ideally located on a quiet street, yet was a convenient starting point for visiting nearby breweries, wineries, and Seneca Farms Ice Cream Shop! The Bungalow was clean and comfortable. The kitchen had everything we needed. The favorite part of our stay was sitting on the deck in the morning with a cup of coffee and a book, enjoying the sights and sounds of this beautiful lake! The sunrise this morning was gorgeous!! Will definitely be back!

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Thank you very much for taking the time to rate us 5/5 stars! We are thrilled to hear you would definitely come back and stay again!

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 05/26/2023

By Amanda from Berwick, Pennsylvania, Stay: 05/06/2023 - 05/08/2023

perfect lake house

Cute Quiet and right on the lake. Dog friendly

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 Thank you for the 5 star rating. We are happy to see that you enjoyed your stay and we hope to host you again soon.

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 05/26/2023

By Terrie L from Honeoye Falls, NY, Stay: 10/14/2022 - 10/22/2022

We really loved this place. It’s really cozy and stupendous view of the lake (Seneca).

By Summer C, Stay: 10/27/2022 - 10/30/2022

The location is private and quiet.  The view from the house and deck are excellent especially for sunrises. We liked it so much; we booked it for our summer vacation and looking forward to kayaking and enjoying the large deck.

By Tim H, Stay: 11/04/2022 - 11/06/2022

We had an excellent and stress free experience using Finger Lakes Premier Properties.  Everything was as described and very clean. Thanks!!

By Pamela from Great Meadows, New Jersey, Stay: 09/03/2022 - 09/10/2022

Beautiful Place

This was the second time we rented this gem. It’s so peaceful and the house is absolutely adorable perfect for a couple or small family. The lake views are gorgeous and it is a perfect spot to visit all the wineries and breweries . Quiet nights gathered around the fire pit. Amenities are great. We can’t wait to go back.

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Thank you for the 5 star rating. We are happy to see that you enjoyed your stay and we hope to host you again soon.

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 03/31/2023

By Jill W,

Second time we have stayed @ Merlot Bungalow, first time in the winter months. The location and views are unbeatable. The house is beautiful and comfortable. The deck with the gas fire pit is perfect, even in the winter to just chill and enjoy the gorgeous view of Seneca Lake with your fur babes and loved one! We will be back.

By Terrie from Honeoye Falls, New York, Stay: 10/14/2022 - 10/22/2022

Stupendous & adorable cottage on the lake.

This was our second time at the Merlot. We loved it there. The place is very clean and cozy.

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Terrie, Thank you very much for taking the time to rate your experience at our rental. We are thrilled to see that you enjoyed a wonderful stay with us! Please come and stay with us again soon!

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 03/27/2023

By Anonymous from Honeoye Falls, New York, Stay: 10/15/2021 - 10/24/2021

Stupendous & Cozy & cute cottage on the lake of Seneca

We love this place. Great view of the Seneca lake. The place is very clean. Great bonfire place. They have a great deck that we can sit and watch geese and loons. Even a great place to see the sunrise!!! We definitely will go back there. We love it there.

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Thank you for the 5 star rating. We are happy to see that you enjoyed your stay and we hope to host you again soon.

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 11/08/2021

By Kristen from Morris Plains, New Jersey, Stay: 09/14/2021 - 09/19/2021

Family getaway

Great house in the Finger Lakes! Perfect location between Penn Yan and Geneva with many wineries nearby. Our pups loved being on the lake and we loved the kayaks and floats available. House was very clean and had everything we needed.

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Thank you very much for taking the time to rate your experience at our rental. We are extremely gratified to see that you enjoyed a wonderful stay with us! Please come and stay with us again soon!

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 10/04/2021

By JJ from Rochester, New York, Stay: 05/18/2020 - 05/22/2020

Stunning view

The house was very clean and the view cannot be beat! The dogs loved swimming in the small private beach section. The deck options are extensive!! Just be aware that the internet is incredibly slow so if you need it at all for any type of work it is not functional. But you can check email. WE enjoyed the trip!

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Thank you for the 5 star rating.  We will use your feedback to improve the experience for future guests at this rental.  Please come and stay with us again soon!

- Finger Lakes Properties staff, Posted: 09/02/2021

By Christine K, Stay: 04/29/2021 - 05/02/2021

Perfect Getaway!

The house was perfect for a girls weekend in wine country. Very clean, great location, dog friendly. We will be back!

By Judith O from Buffalo, New York, Stay: 07/05/2020 - 07/12/2020

It's a wonderful location, and great to have the kayaks, tubes, etc. there. The panoramic view of the lake from the deck is marvelous! There are great wineries and restaurants very close by.

By Andrea, Stay: 08/07/2020 - 08/14/2020

A lovely place right on Seneca Lake- nestled in by some great wineries!

It was great, simple and clean. the deck overlooking lake Seneca was fantastic. the dock and boat house lakeside were perfect: nice comfy chairs and cushions kept safely away with easy access. the dock is great and makes for perfect lake swimming and tons of fun; there are kayaks and inflatables. everything was really very comfortable and well kept. we loved it.

By Tim from Bowie,MD, Stay: 10/28/2020 - 10/31/2020

Beautiful getaway on the Seneca shore

My wife, dog, and I stayed three nights in late October. We were delighted by the property, the location, and the view. Unfortunately the weather was a little too cold and rainy to get out and enjoy the deck, dock, or kayaks, but we made lots of use of the fireplace and watched the lake from the cozy living room. The property is in a perfect location - on a quiet dead end street so traffic is minimal and we could walk the dog up and down any time of day or night, plus it's a 3 minute drive to Anthony Road, our absolute favorite winery in the area, and 15 minutes to either Geneva or Penn Yan, where there are excellent restaurants for carryout. (Highly recommend FLX Fry Bird in Geneva and Union Block in Penn Yan.) The bungalow is appointed with all of the cooking supplies, dishware, wine glasses, etc. you'll need. Only complaints are the tv and internet connections, though we did figure out how to cast video from my phone to the built-in Chromecast in the tv, which worked ok when the weather didn't interfere with the satellite internet. Some instructions for the tv options and fireplace (which we could turn off and on but not figure out how to adjust otherwise) would be helpful for future guests. All in all a great location and property -- we're thinking about coming back in early summer when we could make use of the dock and kayaks!

By Gary from Westwood, NJ,

Fantastic!!

This place is great. The photos in the listing made the main area look a little bigger than it actually is, but the two of us were happier with reality than with what we thought we would find. Nicely decorated and well-maintained. Nice, open main area with a three-person couch and a small LR chair near the TV. Four-person dining table conveniently near kitchen and kitchen island/bar. Gas "heating stove" in the corner near the slider to the deck. We stayed during cold weather and boy does that stove throw some heat! ? Two nicely sized bedrooms. Almost the entire lake side of the house is glass (with shades or curtains, but you don't really need them because you have plenty of privacy). The road off Route 14 (Serenity Road) is easy to find and easy to drive. The location of this house is excellent for it's proximity to Geneva, and to several truly great nearby wineries (you can practically walk to Red Tail Ridge, Kemmeter and Anthony Road but there are many more worth visiting that are beyond this tiny radius). If we had been here during warmer weather, we would have been on the deck or at the fire pit every minute we were not out on the road. The lake view is phenomenal and the dock is easy to get to (if stairs are workable for you...no way around those). The wifi is a little slow, but definitely functional. The TV is decent-sized and has a native Google Chromecast app so we streamed from Netflix and Hulu in the evenings. FWIW...we grocery shop on our way up through Watkins Glen, and cook at home more than we eat out. But on this trip we tried FLX Fry Bird in Geneva (on the recommendation of another reviewer of this house!) and really enjoyed it. Better yet, a Google search showed us Sans Dumplings about 5 minutes away (it's actually part of Kemmeter Wines) and we got take-out from there twice. SUPER GOOD!! ? We find ourselves coming to Seneca Lake whenever we need to get away, and we will be specifically looking for this house again when we plan our next trip.

By Michelle from Penn Yan, Stay: 02/12/2021 - 02/14/2021

Wonderful Winter Getaway!

My husband and I came up to have a weekend getaway and celebrate his birthday. We were so pleased with the Merlot Bungalow- clean, cozy, comfortable and a GORGEOUS view of Seneca Lake! Love the indoor fireplace that gave off lots of warmth. The house is close to many nearby points of interest including wineries (Red Tail Ridge and Anthony Rd right nearby), the town of Geneva (we ordered out from FLX Fry Bird) and Belhurst Castle (Edgars restaurant was delicious!). It snowed on and off throughout our stay and it didn’t impact our ability to go anywhere. Overall it was a lovely stay and we will definitely be back!

By Rheannon R from Tonawanda, NY,

July 2019

Having beach access to the water was indisputably the best part of this place; We swam twice a day in the morning and the afternoon. It's basically all we did.

By Charlie,

July 2019 Stay

The Merlot Bungalow was just what the doctor ordered! We hadn't been on a week-long vacation in over 10 years and we couldn't have been happier with our choice. The gate on the deck attached to the house provided us with peace of mind that our dog and child would not inadvertently wander off and get hurt. The homes' perch on the lakeside provided incredible views from just about everywhere on the property. The fencing along the edge of the precipice was well-maintained and provided another level of security for our toddler and dog. The amenities met our every need and we didn't need to pack a single kitchen utensil to bring with us from home. The dock/boathouse/beach provided much-needed relief from the summer heat. The washer/dryer allowed us to keep everything clean and we didn't have a single piece of laundry to do when we got home. The larger stand-up shower was much appreciated; most we've encountered are more like utility closets. The Merlot Bungalow was so welcoming that it almost felt like home. That fact made our vacation so much more enjoyable/refreshing despite chasing around a toddler & a dog, and taking care of a 2-month-old. I would recommend this place to any single family looking to get away. You WON'T regret it. BOOK IT!

By Kathy B from Columbus, OH, Stay: 06/01/2018 - 06/03/2018

June 2018 Stay

Merlot bungalow was about the view, it was incredible! Very comfortable home with great decks and proximity to both ends of the lake.

By Jennifer W from Catonsville, MD, Stay: 05/05/2018 - 05/11/2018

May 2018 Stay

The Merlot Bungalow is a fantastic little cottage on the lake! Our favorite part about it is the view from the living room and master bedroom (+ the amazing decks and docks!). We would definitely recommend for a couple or couples who are looking for a peaceful weekend. The location is great on a private street very close to many wineries (a few you can even walk to!).

 

By Carmen D from Mount Holly, NJ, Stay: 05/04/2018 - 05/06/2018

May 2018 Stay

The view of the lake is breathtaking. Make it a point to see a sunrise.

 

By Carmen D from Mount Holly, NJ, Stay: 04/27/2018 - 04/30/2018

April 2018 Stay

The Merlot Bungalow is a beautiful house with picture perfect views of Lake Seneca. The amenities provided were perfect which made our stay memorable.

 

By Mary B from Mount Airy, MD, Stay: 07/09/2017 - 07/16/2017

July 2017 Stay

What a wonderful place! We will definitely be back. Loved every minute! Amenities were all great: pots & pans, coffee pot, dishes, glasses, wine glasses, utensils, cooking implements, all great! The only suggestions for improvement: better knife block, additional bed pillows, and faster internet. Loved the fire pit, grill, kayaks, life jackets, inner tubes, gorgeous decks! Very comfortable home! 

By Nancy D from Carlisle, Stay: 06/10/2017 - 06/17/2017

June 2017 Stay

This was one of our best vacations yet!! The Merlot Bungalow was the perfect place to stay while exploring the Seneca Lake region. It was ideally located on a quiet street, yet was a convenient starting point for visiting nearby breweries, wineries, and Seneca Farms Ice Cream Shop! The Bungalow was clean and comfortable. The kitchen had everything we needed. The favorite part of our stay was sitting on the deck in the morning with a cup of coffee and a book, enjoying the sights and sounds of this beautiful lake! The sunrise this morning was gorgeous!! Will definitely be back!

By Leavey,

We had a great time during our stay. We also really appreciate the little doggie gift bags that we received when we arrived. Everything in the house was clean and the staff were very professional.

By Julia from New York NY,

I could never tire of waking up to that glorious lake view and stepping out on the deck every morning with my cup of tea. Light poured into the pristine, comfortable living room from the oversized sliding doors and soaring skylights above. There are two spacious decks to enjoy the lake. We took advantage of the new kayaks to enjoy on the lake in warmer weather. This is one of the few rentals I would wish to return in a heartbeat. There are many properties on Seneca Lake; alas many have tired furnishings or poor light/views from inside. After searching through many properties I was convinced we couldn't do better in this budget and I was right.